Click here to view the complete CoSIDA/Capitol One Academic All-America® football team.

TOWSON, Md. — Fort Lewis College punter Frank Atherton was named to the Capitol One Academic All-America® first team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications Dan O'Connell announced today.

“This is great for Fort Lewis College to get this exposure showing we have a true balance between the athletic and academic experience,” said second-year FLC head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval. “Frank is a great representation of our entire athletic department and the student-athlete body. We're all extremely proud of him and happy that he's part of our Skyhawk family.”

Atherton, a 6-foot-3, 170-lb. senior from Hawaii Prep in Kamuela, Hawaii, carries a perfect 4.00 grade point average in Exercise Science-Exercise Specialist option. No stranger to academic awards, his is a two-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic performer (2010, 2011), was named to the CoSIDA/Capitol One Academic All-Super Region 3 first team earlier this fall, the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District 7 second team in 2010, and a two-time D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement Award recipient (2009, 2010).

Atherton averages 37.3 yards on 83 punts this year and pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 22 times while recording just five touchbacks. He also has eight rushing yards on one carry. He averaged 41.3 yards per punt a year ago.

He becomes the third Fort Lewis football player to be recognized on a CoSIDA Academic All-America® team, joining wide receiver Dee Tennison (first team in 1972) and tight end Tad Layman (second team in 2001).

Nominations and voting for the Capitol One Academic All-America® programs are conducted by CoSIDA members. There are separate teams for NCAA Divisions I, II and III and NAIA.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America® teams program, visit www.cosida.com.